Hey There, Lilah
by NotYetLostFaith
Summary: Kate wakes up her daughter for a surprise. Based on Plain White T's Hey There Delilah. TWOSHOT
1. Chapter 1

"Lilah, Lilah." Kate whispered softly, gently stroking the hair from her sleeping child's forehead. "Lilah Baby, wake up for me, Angel." The little girl's eyes fluttered open and Kate smiled as the clear blue crystals found her.

"Momma?" Lilah asked quietly. Kate smiled.

"Hey Baby. You gotta get up Baby; momma's got a surprise for you." The little girl considered her mother for a moment.

"Ups?" She asked lifting her arms to her mother. Kate chuckled before carefully picking up the toddler and holding her close before sitting her on her hip.

"Close your eyes, Baby." Kate murmured against her daughter's hair. "Close them up nice and tight and no peeking okay?" She watched as she scrunched her eyes up and nodded. Kate smiled and pecked her tiny button nose. "Good girl."

Kate carefully walked down the stairs and into the office before perching on the desk chair, gently turning her little girl to face the computer in front of them. She smiled and leaned down to speak into her daughter's ear.

"Okay, Lilah, open up." The little girl's eyes opened and it took her a moment to recognise what was on the screen before her.

"Dada!" She cried happily, making her father laugh on the monitor.

"Hey Baby girl. Oh Lilah, you look so pretty, Sweetie. Your eyes shine brighter that Times Square, Honey." Rick whispered in awe. Kate chuckled when her baby girl blushed.

"You're not home." Lilah assessed sadly. Rick's smile faded.

"I know, Sweetheart. I'm sorry, Baby, I tried so hard to be there, but daddy had to stay here." Lilah's chin trembled. "Hey now, no tears my Darling. Momma's there and daddy loves you so much. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it okay? I'm right there if you get lonely. Just get momma to play you one of the stories I recorded for you. If you close your eyes Baby it's like I'm right there with you." Kate gently swayed them both from side to side, comforting her little girl.

"Don't like it."

"Oh, Sweetheart I know. Daddy doesn't either. But Cutie, I'll be home real soon." He smiled at her gently. "You know if I could get home to you I would. I'd walk if I had to Lilah."

"Miss you dada." Kate heard her husband swallow as emotion clogged his throat.

"I miss you too Lilah, so so much Honey." Rick murmured thickly. Kate subtly tightened her hold on Lilah's tiny body, holding her like she knew Rick wanted to. "But be good for momma okay? And don't miss me too much. Two more sleeps and I'll be home. We can do whatever you want, okay?" Lilah nodded, her chestnut curls bobbing with the movement. "And I made momma promise not to say it so I could be the first, so, happy birthday my big girl." Lilah giggled at Rick's huge smile.

"I'm three dada." Rick chuckled.

"I know." Rick gasped. "You have to stop growing! You'll be as big as your sister soon." Lilah giggled.

"But Lexis is really big." Kate and Rick both smiled.

"Baby, I'll be home before you know it okay?" Lilah nodded solemnly.

"I'll save you cake." She told him seriously, making her parents laugh, even as they both fought tears.

"I'd expect nothing less." Rick smiled. "Now Baby, it's really early and you must still be sleepy." Lilah yawned as if to prove his point. "Why don't you let momma put you in the big bed for a little while?" Lilah nodded sleepily.

"Love you dada." Rick chocked on a sob when his precious baby girl leaned forward and kissed the monitor.

"I'll be right back, handsome." Kate murmured and waited on Rick's nod before scooping up her half asleep little girl and gently tucking her in safe and warm in their bed. She quickly returned to the desk and gave her smile a soft smile.

"I'm so sorry I'm not going to be there Kate." Rick apologised. Kate shook her head.

"If you could be, you would be Rick. I know that." She sighed, gently resting her left hand on the tiny swell of her abdomen. "You missed your son kicking for the first time." She told him regretfully. Rick shut his eyes as a traitorous tear ran down his cheek.

"Oh Baby I'm sorry. I wanted to be there, you know I did, but Paula and Gina insisted that I stay until the end and..."

"Shhh, Rick it's okay." Kate soothed gently. "I know. I just miss you is all. Your little girl isn't the only one listening to those CDs every night." Rick sighed.

"Oh Kate." She shook her head.

"I've already forgiven you. Just come home soon okay? I miss you." Her voice cracked on the last word as tears fell down her face. "I'm sorry." She sobbed.

"I wish I could hold you Kate. I wish so much that I could hold you right now." Kate nodded.

"I know. You realise I'm not letting you out of this house for the rest of the week when you get home right?" Castle chuckled thickly.

"I wouldn't dream of trying to leave. I've gotta go, but I'll call you later okay?" Kate nodded.

"I love you Mr Castle." Rick smiled, holding his hand up to his screen. Kate gently laid her hand to cover his on her monitor.

"I love you back Mrs. Castle. I'll be home in two days, I promise." Kate smiled gently.

"I'm counting the hours, Love." Rick smiled and blew her a kiss before disappearing from screen. Kate took a moment to breathe before curling back in bed with their daughter, breathing in her soft warm baby scent, calming herself enough to fall asleep in his absence.

Only forty eight more hours.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note-I know this isn't what people were expecting, but this is what came to me. This really is the end now, this story is officially complete. Thanks for the fabulous reaction to this. NYLF xx

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"No, Lanie! I can't do this. This can't be happening now! He's two weeks early! Rick's not here! Rick's in _Chicago_, signing books! No one is here Lanie! Martha is in London working in the West End, Alexis is in LA with her mother, my dad's out of state on some fishing trip, the boys are undercover in a case they're _not allowed to tell me about_ and you need to watch Lilah! I cannot be in labour now!" Kate cried, clutching her swollen stomach with one hand as she held onto the kitchen counter with the other.

"Sweetie." Lanie started softly, rubbing tight circles on Kate's lower back. "Baby wants to meet you, he doesn't care that it's inconvenient." Kate shook her head desperately.

"I can't do this with out them! I need them Lanie! I need my husband!" Lanie swallowed the urge to cry along with her when tears trickled down her best friend's cheeks. Castle had barely been there in the last few months, working tirelessly on book tours and movie production. He'd tried so hard to get out of it but when it became a choice of fulfilling his duties, but leaving Kate, and loosing his job, but staying, Kate had urged him to just go. Being apart was beyond hard, but they called everyday he wasn't there and Skyped at least once a week. Lilah didn't like it, understandably, but she understood that, just like momma had to slay dragons, dada had to go tell stories.

Kate groaned as a contraction ripped through her. Lanie tried her best to soothe her but knew it was largely useless.

"Lanie, get my phone. Please, I need my phone." The medical examiner was quick to oblige.

"Momma?" A tiny sleepy voice called from the bottom stair. Kate schooled her features to hide her pain before turning to face her big girl.

"Hey Angel, I thought you were still asleep Baby?" Kate asked softly. Lilah shook her head.

"Waked up. What's wrong?" Kate shook her head at her concern.

"Nothing's wrong my Darling. Your brother is just getting impatient that's all." Lilah nodded slowly.

"But dada's not here." Kate could have cried again at the regret in her three and a half year old's tone.

"I know. But he'll only be gone for another three days." Kate assured her softly. "You're gonna stay with Auntie Lanie today while I go and have your brother okay?" Lilah nodded.

"Okay momma." Lanie smiled to the toddler as she handed Kate her phone. Within seconds, Kate was dialling the most familiar number.

"Hey Kate, what's up?" Rick answered happily. Kate could have sobbed with relief at the sound of his voice.

"Rick." She choked. "It's happening, Rick." There was a beat of silence where Castle tried to connect the sentence, and his wife's frantic tone, to a nugget of information hidden in his overworked brain. Kate cried out across the line and everything snapped into place.

"You're in labour? Now?!" He asked incredulously. Kate hummed an affirmative sounding answer. "Okay, I will be on a plane in the next ten minutes. Hold on Baby, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"There's no one here Rick. I can't do this by myself." She sobbed. Rick held onto his composure tightly, forcing his tone to be authoritative.

"Beckett. You are the head of New York's finest detective team. You survived a bullet to the heart. You can do anything!" Kate shook her head desperately.

"Not without you." She murmured heartbrokenly. Rick sighed softly.

"Kate, I believe in you Darling okay? I will get there as fast as I can, in fact I'm running to Black Pawn's helicopter right now, but you have to be strong for me Love. You _can _do this and I will be there to hold you just as soon as I can." Kate took a shaky breath. "Get Lanie to watch Lilah and text the boys, phone your dad and Alexis and mother and I will be there in two hours tops okay?"

"I don't think your son will wait that long. He takes after his dada in impatience." Rick chuckled.

"I'm at the helicopter, I've got to go. I will call you as soon as I land."

"I love you, please hurry." Rick felt his heart drop.

"I love you too, all three of you. I'll be there as soon as humanly possible Baby." He hung up and strapped in while Kate cried through her next contraction.

"Okay, Sweetie, we have to get you to the hospital, now." Lanie reasoned, laying her hand on the small of Kate's back. Kate nodded. "Okay." Lanie jogged into the master bedroom and collected Kate's hospital bag before scooping Lilah up and fitting her on her hip with practised ease. Lilah settled on her godmother's hip, thumb firmly in her mouth as she watched her mother in concern.

"Mama okay?" The toddler asked Lanie as she came to Kate's side to help her across the loft.

"Mama's fine Baby." Lanie smiled. "It's just time to meet your little brother."

Once Lanie had driven them to the hospital, she had to leave Kate to be processed and examined while she waited outside with Lilah. She sent a quick text to Esposito and Ryan simply saying 'time' so as not to endanger their cover, before calling Alexis, Martha and Jim Beckett. Alexis and Jim promised to be on the next planes home while Martha assured the doctor she'd be home as soon as possible. She knew the boys would have to stay until the job was done, but they would then come straight to her side. With nothing else to do, Lanie held Lilah close and prayed that Kate would get through this, that Castle would get there in time and that everything would be okay.

Kate lay in her hospital bed, breathing deeply through her contractions while nurses flitted all around her. She wasn't paying attention to them though, her focus entirely on her baby bump.

"Hey little man. If you can hear me, just wait a little bit longer okay? Your dada wouldn't be impressed if I get to meet you first." She murmured softly, running her hand across her swollen abdomen. "Please don't let him miss this." She sighed to herself.

"Alright Kate. You're ten centimetres, time to start pushing." Kate threw her head back against her pillow for a moment, collecting herself.

"He's really not gonna be here, is he?" She shook her head before tuning back into the instructions the doctor was giving her, oblivious to her phone ringing.

"Come on Kate, pick up!" Rick chanted as he sprinted through the corridors. The helicopter had gotten permission and dropped him off at the hospital helipad, meaning the only thing standing between him and the birth of his son, providing as he hadn't already missed it, was endless corridors.

"Come on Kate, big push." The doctor urged her. Kate pressed her chin to her chest and pushed with all her might. Bright red and unable to breathe, she pushed and pushed until finally the most beautiful sound could be heard.

"I'm here, Kate. I'm right here Baby, you can do this, I've got you." Rick sprinted into the room and held her hand tightly, kissing her sweaty forehead. Kate smiled wearily.

"You made it." She breathed. Rick kissed her cheek.

"Wouldn't miss it for all the world. Push Kate, bring him into the world, time to meet him." Kate nodded and pushed a final time.

The sound of their son's cries filled the room as Kate collapsed back onto the bed. Rick kissed her gently.

"Thank you, Kate. You're so beautiful and I'm so proud of you." He gushed, kissing her once more before following instructions to cut the cord.

A few minutes later, their tiny baby boy was resting happily in his dada's arms, staring up at him with his mother's eyes.

"He's so beautiful." Kate breathed. Rick smiled at her and kissed her softly. "I'm so glad you made it." Kate stroked a finger through the dark brown tufts of hair on the baby's head before kissing Rick lovingly.

"I promised you always."


End file.
